#BDB257
Closest named color: Dark Khaki (#BDB76B). oklch(75.4% 0.114 102.5), rgb(189, 178, 87).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.66:1).
About this color
#BDB257 is a medium-light, moderately saturated yellow. In OKLCH its lightness is 75%, its chroma 0.114 and its hue 102°. Its hue sits on the warm side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Khaki (#BDB76B), ΔE 0.021 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.66:1.
| Hue family | Yellows |
| Lightness | medium-light (75%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.114) |
| Temperature | warm |
| Nearest name | Dark Khaki (#BDB76B) |
| Black text | 9.66:1 |
| White text | 2.17:1 |
Values
| HEX | #BDB257 |
| RGB | rgb(189, 178, 87) |
| HSL | hsl(54, 44%, 54%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(75.4% 0.114 102.5) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #BDB257 | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc -47.4 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #BDB257 | 9.66:1 | AAA | Lc 61.3 | Content text, not long reading |
| #BDB257 text on white | 2.17:1 | Fails | Lc 42.6 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #BDB257 text on black | 9.66:1 | AAA | Lc -59.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F6F6EF
oklch(97.1% 0.009 106.6)
-
Step 100
100
#ECEBDB
oklch(93.7% 0.021 103.9)
-
Step 200
200
#DEDBBD
oklch(88.6% 0.04 102.5)
-
Step 300
300
#C9C38E
oklch(80.9% 0.07 102.4)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#BDB257
oklch(75.4% 0.114 102.5)
-
Step 500
500
#998C00
oklch(63.2% 0.133 102.9)
-
Step 600
600
#817500
oklch(55.6% 0.117 102.3)
-
Step 700
700
#6C6200
oklch(49% 0.103 102.5)
-
Step 800
800
#595000
oklch(42.7% 0.089 102)
-
Step 900
900
#4A4300
oklch(37.8% 0.079 102.7)
-
Step 950
950
#2C2700
oklch(27% 0.057 102.1)
#BDB257 with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #C0AD4E | 0.013 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #C3B25B | 0.010 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #CAA79D | 0.104 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #B0B0B0 | 0.114 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #BDB257
#BDB257
oklch(75.4% 0.114 102.5)
- #A4A6F5
#A4A6F5
oklch(75.4% 0.113 282.2)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #BDB257, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Khaki #BDB76B ΔE 0.021
- Desert #CCAD60 ΔE 0.030
- Light Olive #ACBF69 ΔE 0.037
- Tan Green #A9BE70 ΔE 0.039
- Sandstone #C9AE74 ΔE 0.043
- Muddy Yellow #BFAC05 ΔE 0.043
- Sand Brown #CBA560 ΔE 0.044
- Light Olive Green #A4BE5C ΔE 0.044
Use #BDB257 in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.